I built a "front porch" a few months ago I figured it would block some wind and rain , I ended up putting some 1/4 inch screen on mine had a mouse get in I have a 3/4 inch hole in a 1 inch thick inner cover that I made with a deep on top of that with dry sugar, i think I will change to 3/8 x 2 inch slot next year and make a new " front porch" , great pictures.

the hole on the porch looks pretty small (judging from pic.#6) http://www.beesbatsandbeyond.com/Bee_Equipment.html. Maybe a mouse can shimmy thru that - they can squeeze into some small spots. From the way it was described all of the other holes have screen covering them. Personally, I think its a great idea- I propped my cover up during the summer to increase the ventilation- this would be at least as much ventilation as propping the lid.

I have been using this design for two season already (2008-2009). Initially I built my ventilated inner (VIC) cover with a screen mesh frame that either slides or rests over the 4" hole. During the winter of 2008-2009 I decided to keep the screen out to see what the results would be. I found out that the bees did enter the box but did not propolize the screen mesh. The only thing I did not like was the fact that the bees were trying to fly out through the screen mesh. I had to actually pry up the telescopic outer cover to let them fly out. In my new design (2010) I have raised the location of the upper entrance hole to be directly above the floor of the VIC. The bees now will be doing the same thing they were doing before when I had a regular flat inner cover. The entrance hole is the same size (3/8" x 2") to defend.

I did not have any problems with mice entering any of my hives, ever. I use a mouse guard for the entrance down below and they don't appear to use the upper vent hole to get in...so far.

By the way...I guess that I lied....When I built my first ventilated inner cover I made the center hole diameter 3". The 1/2 gal. bottles would fit directly over the hole and would block the ventilation. On the rest of my VIC's I enlarged the holes to 4". The bottles now fit right into the hole and either rest on top of the frames or I can sit them over the hole with a metal frame I built to keep the bottles from tipping over. SO far the bottles do ok just sitting over the frames. With the 4" hole there is still enough of a gap to keep the ventilation flowing around the bottle's neck. I will have to go through my old posts and correct my 3" to 4". Sorry!!!!!!

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My favorite comedy program used to be Glenn Beck--The only thing is that after I heard the same joke over and over again it became BOOOORING.....

People who have inspired me throughout my life---Pee-wee Herman, Adolph Hitler, George W. Bush, Glenn Beck.Notice I did not say they were people who I admire !!!

I don't think I would have had a mouse get into my hive if I would have went with a 3/8 X 2 slot like Gaucho used , I used a 3/4 x 3/4 dado cut in my thick inner cover , the mice I have problems with are huge, I think they would have trouble getting through a 3/8 x 2 slot , so that is what I am going to switch to next year.

I have honeyrun vented covers on all 30 of my hives. I built my off the set of plans. I dont use foam in mine though. I use bails of straw and break off 3 inch books of it. It still alows for some venting but insulates and obsorbs. My upper enterances are cut in the bee space below the inner cover. They are also only 1" X 3/8" This works very well in my snowy cold Michigan weather

.My hive set up is the same all year around. Same stuff and same insulations and same covers.

Only difference is that I put a planket of geotextile in front of hives which protect entrance against snow and wind. ( Dec-Feb)

In summer I look from number of ventilated bees, how big main entrance open they need.

Upper cover insulation is important sot that the cover does not condensate moisture down onto frames.

Very important is to deminish the the hive so that colony fill wintering space with bees.It keep interrior warm and move DEWPOINT somewhere out of honey stores.

If the ventilation is too big, it spends winter food and brings the colony nearer starvation. ******With this system 20 kg sugar per hive is enough to get hives over winter from September to April and I need not worry about they condition. There are perhaps 5 kg honey/hive with that 20 kg sugar.